


Bucky Barnes' Christmas Carol

by scratches



Category: Captain America (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: A Christmas Carol rip, Darcyland (Marvel), F/M, Ghosts of Past Present and future, Guardians of the Galaxy cameo, Sam Wilson is a gem, Secret Santa, Secret Santa 2020, avengers endgame compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28019898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scratches/pseuds/scratches
Summary: Bucky Barnes was lacking in Christmas Spirit. Can Steve, Natasha, and Stark help him get his head out of his ass and get the girl?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Comments: 10
Kudos: 105
Collections: Darcyverse Secret Santa





	Bucky Barnes' Christmas Carol

**Author's Note:**

  * For [keznik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/keznik/gifts).



> I hope you enjoy it, Kez!!

Bucky knew he was dreaming. How? Because Steve stood before him, his hands deep in his denim pockets looking bashful. "So I hear you're lacking in Christmas spirit."

The bed under him was pillowy soft and he didn't want to get up, no matter what adventure Steve wanted to bring him on. "Just leave me alone." Bucky knew that Steve, even a Steve that he was dreaming up, was going to bring him on some hairbrained adventure.

Steve shrugged and made a face, "You know I can't do that."

He shook his head before he looked up, angry. "You already did."

"I deserve that," Steve agreed. "But doesn't mean you can't find a little bit of that Christmas spirit. I know you have it in you," he gestured around the bland room that Bucky called his quarters, "or you wouldn't be dreaming of me."

"If I put some pants on, will you stop yapping?" Being woken up in the middle of the night, even in his dream, was not something he enjoyed. 

Steve gave him a look before shrugging, a mysterious smile on his face. Huffing, Bucky stood before yanking his dresser open and grabbing the first pair of pants he found. "Ya happy?"

"Grab a coat, we're going someplace cold." Bucky pulled on the blue leather jacket he had bought earlier in the year and zipped it up with a yank. With a roll of his eyes, Steve pulled his door open and pushed him through. 

When he opened his eyes and looked around him he was no longer at the compound. The facility was actually nowhere in sight. The skyline above them looked familiar but it was the fans chanting and cheering for the Philly Flyers that gave it away. They were outside of a hockey arena and there were lit swags across the road as far as he could see. Between the cheering and chanting, some people dressed in grimey orange monster costumes jumped around and amped the crowd up. It was a win for the Flyers. Bucky hoped they wouldn't see this area of the town burn down or cop cars get overturned in joy. 

It was Steve's heavy hand on his shoulder that brought him back, pulled him back to whatever reality they were in. "Do you remember this?"

His gaze flicked around the crowd and the buildings before he caught sight of a stainless steel bratwurst cart steaming on the street. The man serving was wrapped in a scarf and fingerless gloves, his tongs slapped brats into buns with precision, spoonfuls of kraut were deposited onto the meat followed by heavy squirts of brown mustard. Bucky took a deep breath and let the smell of grilling meats and mustard roll over him. 

Side eyeing Steve, Bucky rolled his tongue over his teeth. He did remember this. It was a completed op that he ended up abandoning at the end. He remembered disappearing into the crowd of revelers, his gun at his back, multiple knives on his body, and a thick wrapped scarf around his neck. HYDRA had wanted him to blend in for extraction.

They never did that again because he blended in too well, he had slipped through their fingers and disappeared for two days before they found him and wiped him. "Two thousand and six." Bucky watched the crowd again, Steve's hand still heavy on his shoulder. "It was Christmas and the Flyers actually won a game."

"A Christmas past," Steve watched the road as the crowd parted and memory Bucky started to walk towards them.He wore thick leather boots, dark washed out jeans, and a black leather jacket. The thick black scarf he wore around his neck obscured his face. The shaggy hair looked fashionable for the time, Bucky blended right in.

"I was waiting for extraction." He watched himself walk through the crowd, people dodging around him. Someone made a comment that he must have been a Senator's fan. He glowered at the fan and the drunk man backed up. 

The memory of himself paused fifty feet before the bratwurst cart and he could see the moment that he broke conditioning. It took a bump into a stranger for memory Bucky to quickly pickpocket a stranger. "I…" he looked at Steve and asked, "What does this have to do with anything, Steve, why am I dreaming about this."

Steve shifted Bucky until they were closer to the bratwurst cart, closer to memory Bucky to watch what was going to happen next. "Just watch," he gestured to the scene. 

Eventually, Bucky found his way to the short line and behind him a crowd of off key singing women moved to line up too. All of them looked happy, pink in the cheeks from the cold, jackets were pulled tight around them as they huddled together. One of the women went off script, singing on her own, "Oh bratwurst cart, oh bratwurst cart, how lovely are thy meat sticks, your meats so good after a game, stay nice and juicy for my mouth. Oh bratwurst cart oh bratwurst cart..." Her friends jostled her forward as they laughed. 

He remembered this. Bucky remembered her pushing into the small of his back where his gun was stashed, at the time he worried that she had felt the weapon under her hands. "Oh, sorry!" 

Memory Bucky turned and looked down at her before his face pulled into a grin. The broken conditioning fell to the wayside as he muttered, "Ain't no thing, doll." 

Steve moved them both a little closer before the young woman grinned. Bucky stood still. He knew that face. Bucky knew that wide grin, the same shade of lipstick still graced her features. She moved around the facility between science labs and the S.W.O.R.D. liaison offices. "You fuckin' with me Steve?" 

"No." Bucky started to shake under Steve's tough grip. 

They watched as she tucked a long strand of curly dark hair behind her ear and looked him up and down, "Merry Christmas to me." She stuffed her hands deep in her red peacoat's pockets and whistled.

Memory Bucky winked before moving forward, the man shouting 'next' at him. He pulled out the stolen wallet and a wad of bills before ordering four brats all the way, kraut, mustard, the works. 

"Leave some for the rest of us," she joked behind him. 

Memory Bucky turned and stared down at her behind his scarf, blue eyes intent. Bucky remembered shoving one of the bratwursts towards her until she grabbed it with her hands. He winked before walking away from the cart but not before leaving a twenty in the tip jar.

Her comment hadn't registered with him at the time, but now, watching the memory from this angle, his brain filling in the pieces he heard her friends laugh, "You should have got his number, Darcy."

Memory Bucky peeked over his shoulder and turned as she said, "He's probably the hottest guy I've ever seen _and_ he's a good tipper." 

The scene melted way from them and they reappeared right before Bucky was about to slip into an empty warehouse building that Christmas evening. It was as good of a place as any to get a few hours a sleep before he needed to move. HYDRA wouldn’t expect him to stay close, especially with Philly being a transportation hub for the east coast. In front of his memory and far from the two of them, they watched as a group of women rushed across the abandoned street, laughing. The thump of heavy music echoed around the area and they watched as the woman in the red peacoat slowed her gait and finally stopped on the far sidewalk. She stared down the road to where memory Bucky leaned against a broken street light, a cigarette glowing between his lips. The man looked up under his shaggy hair and flicked the cigarette to the ground. It rolled for a few feet and extinguished in a puddle of melted snow.

Next, Steve forced him to follow himself into the warehouse where memory Bucky found the leftover bedding of a previous tenant and laid down. It was like time fast forwarded in front of them as memory Bucky rested fitfully, only waking when the sound of screeching tires and screaming woke him up. 

"You shouldn't have showed me this," he whispered.

"I know you've thought about this night," Steve replied, "I know you haven't been able to piece it together." 

"Why'd you show me this Steve." His voice was flat and his eyes flashed with anger.

"You don't remember," he lifted an eyebrow, "still?"

The memory had paused behind them. "I don't remember anything except the screaming and sirens." Bucky started breathing heavy, his hands grabbed his hair and pulled. "Why can't I remember?"

Steve was in front of him now, holding his shoulders after he had bucked forward, his hands squeezing his temples. "That's why I'm here."

The scene changed again and now they were on the sidewalk a block away, the thumping music still loud and vibrating. They watched as memory Bucky ran out of the building and towards them. Turning on his heels, Bucky finally looked behind him. The women from the bratwurst line were screaming, crouched around someone on the ground. Darcy Lewis was on the phone trying to tell an emergency operator what happened, the sound of sirens were getting louder as they approached them. 

The sirens he remembered, the woman on the ground he didn't. Bucky quickly analyzed the scene, her arm had a compound fracture, he could see it laying funny under her coat. Her foot wasn't better. With her jeans pulled up, he could see another compound fracture there, a sliver of bone stuck out. She had a large laceration on her head. 

Memory Bucky must have come to the same conclusion. He moved towards the women and pushed one aside. "Don't move her neck," he said gruffly. He crouched and unwound the scarf from his neck and told one of the women to keep pressure on the head wound. He pulled off his leather belt and moved to her ankle where an alarming amount of blood was pooling beneath her. He pulled the belt tightly above the fracture. 

He looked up at Steve and he released a long breath, "This happened?" 

Steve motioned for him to watch. 

The EMS arrived and stabilized the woman before putting her into the back of the ambulance. Before the paramedic left, he asked, "You probably saved her life that was quick thinking, you have training?"

Memory Bucky cleared his throat, "Just basic," he paused, "Army."

"Me too, one oh first."

"One oh seventh." Bucky nodded.

The medic nodded and jumped into the back with the young woman and one of her friends, closing the door with a snap. The ambulance tore down the street, sirens wailing. 

"Watch." Steve took him by the cheeks and focused Bucky back to the scene.

Darcy had her phone in hand and was staring at the ambulance as it turned a corner. "Thanks." Her voice was barely a whisper. 

The other two women sat on the curb. One was on the phone with a cab company and it sounded like the other was sobbing to the injured woman's mother. They watched as Darcy turned and threw her arms around a stunned Bucky. He held his hands up, the blood from her ankle was drying on his gloves. "I shouldn't be here."

She looked up, her blue eyes searched his, "I'm glad you were."

Steve and Bucky silently watched and he slowly dropped his hands and wrapped them around her, "You should get somewhere safe, doll."

"Yeah, I will." Eventually they parted and she pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her bag. "Um, here's my number, if you want to call some day." She folded her hand over his and Bucky clenched it tightly. 

Abruptly, they landed back in his bedroom. "I burned it." 

"I know," Steve patted him on his shoulder, “it was the only thing you could do.”

His chest was still tight when someone pounded on his bedroom door. Bucky tried to ignore it, Steve didn't. The pounding got louder. "Are you going to answer that?" 

Bucky dropped his head between his knees and breathed deeply, "No."

"She'll knock down your door," Steve moved towards it and reached for the knob.

"I know you're in there," a rough feminine voice called, "Open the door for him, Steve."

"Why is she here?" Bucky asked, his arms dangled and he scratched the floor. 

"He's right, I'll kick this door in, just like that time in West Berlin." Natasha shouted. 

"I shot you in West Berlin," Bucky yelled back. 

"I'm opening the door." Steve grabbed the door and pulled it open. When Bucky lifted his head and finally looked, Natasha had her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket, her red bob freshly cut and her foot tapped.

"We have places to be tonight, Barnes" 

"I don't want...Ahh!" Bucky yelled.

Natasha snapped her fingers and Bucky landed in a heap at her feet. Steve floated down from the sky, a parachute actually attached to him for once. "You better stand up or you're going to miss the festivities." She was straight to the point like she always was.

Dusting himself off, Bucky stood and carefully looked around him. It was dark out but the ground glowed from the snow and light from the moon. The facility was lit up beyond them and he could hear Christmas music as it drifted across the yard. Inside one of the large windows the assembled team and support crew were in the lounge. Some people had drinks in their hands, others had plates stacked high with cookies, and in full regalia, Thor and Lady Thor stood under the mistletoe. 

He didn't see himself.

"Let's go," Natasha grabbed the arm of his jacket and pulled him. 

"What the hell, Natasha," he grumbled.

Steve untangled himself from his parachute and jogged to catch up to them. "At least she's not pulling you by the ear." Steve laughed. Bucky missed that sound. He missed his friend and he hated to admit it but he missed the weird friend or foe working relationship he had with Natasha.

"I could," her grip was strong and before he knew it they stood outside one of the residential windows. "Look," Natasha ordered.

Following Steve, he grabbed the window sill and pulled himself up until he peeked in the window. Natasha floated next to them. "This is you, you sad sack." 

With another snap of her fingers the light of his quarters illuminated and the three of them could see a lump under a blue blanket. Bucky watched as his body laid there, not moving, just blinking at the wall every so often. Once the Christmas music drifted towards them again, dream Bucky grabbed one of his pillows and plastered it around his ears.

"Is this some Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge ghosts of Christmas past and present shit?" He let his fingers uncurl and he dropped back to the ground, his boots sank into the snow with a crunch. "Are we going to see the future? Who's it going to be? Arnim Zola? The Red Skull? Thanos?" He spat onto the ground next to Steve's boots. 

This time Natasha _did_ grab him by the ear, "Listen, Barnes," she yanked him around until they were facing the driveway to the facility. "You're going to miss out on good things if you just nope out of everything and look at ceilings and walls." 

A taxi pulled up the driveway slowly, it's lights bright and he could just make out the shape of a woman laughing with the cabbie sitting in the back. When the cab finally stopped in the pull around, the woman threw the door open and stood from the seat. She leaned back into the car and grabbed a large white box wrapped in a large Christmas ribbon. 

It was _her_. Darcy Lewis was still wearing the red peacoat, the one he had seen her wear around moving from building to building. Natasha held him by the chin, squeezing him, "Watch."

The woman waved at the cabbie before she strolled into the atrium. The three of them followed her figure through the large glass walls. She must have kicked the door to the common area because Sam, who stood nearby with a drink in hand, pulled it open and gave her a side hug across her shoulders.

Bucky didn't realize that Sam even knew her well enough to give her a side hug. 

Natasha, being Natasha, hooked her foot under his ankles and tripped him. He fell forward through the wall and suddenly caught himself on the back of one of the recliners in the room. "Why do you got to do that?" He gave Natasha a withering look. 

"Why wouldn't I?" She smirked before grabbing two beers. Steve clinked the beer with her and they both took a drink. 

"Why wouldn't she, Buck?" Steve laughed before tipping his beer back.

"What do you mean he's not here?" Darcy's distinctive voice asked.

Slowly turning, Bucky watched Sam take the large bakery box from her hands and set it on the table. "I tried to get him to join us," Sam sighed, "I was almost ready to plead upon your behalf."

"Maybe he'll come by when it quiets down a little?" Darcy asked.

"Spoiler alert," Natasha whispered, "You won't."

"Steve would have been able to get him here." It was said wistfully. 

Darcy smiled sadly and Bucky could feel his heart break a little. "You think so?" She turned and looked in the mirror and bit her lip. It must have been him imagination, but it looked like she could _see_ them. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment.

Sam laughed, "Maybe," he turned to the box, "so what did you bring?"

Darcy's face changed and a smile stretched across her bright lips. "I…" she rolled her eyes, "you're going to think it's dumb."

"Doubtful," Sam pushed the box towards her, "open it, it smells delicious."

"It's just that I heard you and him talking last week," Darcy moved to pull at one of the ends of the ribbon.

Sam tipped his beer before smirking, "Did you spy on us?"

She held a finger up, "I call it reconnaissance, actually " Darcy continued to pull at the ribbon until the box opened. "There's a bakery in Philly that...well, they brand themselves as a food historical preservation society...And at Christmas they do a bunch of World War Two holiday recipes."

As she unfolded the box, Bucky moved behind Sam. He could feel Steve at his back and Natasha was smirking at him from where she suddenly sat next to the box on the bar. "You found a place to make old man plum cake?"

"And historically correct molasses and orange drop cookies." Bucky stepped back. It smelled perfect. It smelled like recipes his mother would have made. The plum cake looked exactly like the one the Red Cross delivered after his time being imprisoned.

"Damn that looks good," Steve rubbed his hands together.

"Yeah, Bucky, she looks perfect," Natasha crossed her ankles, "I mean the dessert looks perfect."

"One and the same, right, am I right?" Steve elbowed Bucky in his ribs. 

"I hate the both of you," Bucky muttered, still staring at the dessert.

Darcy and Sam started to move again. She picked up a molasses cookie and took a bite out of it. "I just thought he'd like some." Darcy shrugged.

Sam creased his brow and then suggested, "You could bring him some?" 

"Cliche," she rolled her eyes.

"It's Christmas," he picked up an orange drop cookie. "He'd probably eat the whole plum cake."

She leaned back and lifted her hands and shook them, "I knoooow." The cookie was shoved into her mouth and she grabbed a paper plate and picked the whole cake up and dropped it on the plate. 

"I see you're embracing the idea." Sam leaned against the table again. 

Darcy pointed the cookie at Sam, "You know what, fuck it. Get this guy a plate of turkey and shit too, just because he wants to be alone doesn't mean he shouldn't enjoy this." She pointed at the cake, "This is for him," Darcy poked Sam in the chest, "he deserves a happy Christmas you know?"

Bucky took a step back with Steve when Darcy grabbed the plate and rushed past them. "Well, should we follow?" Natasha lifted a brow. She followed Darcy down the hallway and Bucky dragged his feet behind her.

He knew what he was going to see. Bucky knew how he felt and he knew what he had planned for when he woke up. Which was nothing. He was going to get food from the mess hall, shove an unwrapped gift into Sam's arms and then hide in his rooms and ignore the sounds of sleigh bells ring-a-linging and sleigh bells ding-a-linging. 

Hunching his shoulders forward he tried not to look up when they stopped. The loud rapping at his door from Darcy didn't even register to the resting Bucky. The pillow around his head didn't move. "Why won't she stop?" Bucky whispered. "Why's she even trying, ain't like I ever gave her the time of day since I've been here. I get all tongue tied and leave the room."

"She never forgot, Buck." Steve said.

Natasha had a foot on the wall, her arms crossed, "Do you know that she has a doctorate in political science?" 

"Oh yeah," Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky's shoulders, "She interviewed Natasha during the snap."

"She interviewed you too, Steve." Natasha kicked off the wall and circled Bucky. "She pieced it together after the Triskelion. After Vienna." Darcy was still knocking on the door. "She found the assassination file for Philadelphia."

"You always did like a smart gal, Buck." His eyes stared at Darcy as her knocking started to slow. Eventually she stopped and bent down, putting the cake on the floor. She shook her head and moved away. 

Dream Bucky picked up his buzzing phone a few moments later. "What, Sam," he mumbled.

"If you treat Sam like crap, I'll come back and haunt you," Natasha poked him in the chest. Bucky took a step back and bumped into Steve.

"Cake? What are you talking about?" The pillow fell from around his head and he moved towards the door. When the door creaked open, Bucky stared down at the cake, quiet. Sam continued speaking on the phone and Bucky hung the phone up before he could finish.

"What the hell is wrong with me," he ran a hand through his hair and looked up at Natasha. 

"You're socially stunted from seventy years of torture followed by years of social isolation in Wakanda."

"Wow, Natashalie, way to pull the band-aid off." Bucky turned slightly and watched as Tony Stark walked quickly towards him.

"Jesus Christ, are you serious right now, Steve?" Bucky sighed heavily. 

"You're mine now, Barnes," Stark lifted his tablet and pulled up a holographic photo. It was of him and Sam sitting at a bar, a lit tree behind them, and some older men bent over a billiards table to the side. "Let's see what your future holds if you don't start shaping up."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Bucky looked at each one of them in turn. 

"Stop complaining," Stark said before tapping him in the middle of the head with the tablet. 

The four of them stepped out of the holograph into the bar. "Wow, this stinks, literally," Stark said, waving his hand in front of his face. 

"It's an American Legion, what do you expect, Tony?" Natasha asked 

"Aren't they a little cleaner?" Steve asked Bucky.

He turned and looked around the room. Him and Sam had been there before. It was the American Legion outside of Niagara Falls and it was always full of interesting characters, the drinks were cheap, and no one gave a fuck that he once was The Winter Soldier or that Sam was The Falcon. Sam still couldn't pick up Steve's shield and no one cared. 

There's a calendar in the corner to the side of the dart board. Someone had drawn black moustaches on the Christmas kittens that sat in a basket, tree bobbles scattered around their little paws. "Ahh, look at that, the future." Stark slapped the calendar. "Only a year, but still the future." A dart sailed by Stark's face. "Still the same, aren't you, Natasha?" She threw another dart.

His gaze continued on its perusal. Someone broke the billiards balls and someone cheered under the television. The Lions finally made a touchdown. Old Manny D. was a die hard Detroit Lions fan. He always fussed when a game was on. There was tinsel taped around every battalion photo on the wall. Out of the corner of his eyes, the bar man passed another whiskey to Bucky and handed Sam a beer. 

"This is your future?" Steve asked.

"The next year he's kicking a Nazi in the face while that Racoon and Tree set their secret lair on fire, thought that this one was a little sadder." Natasha hit the bullseye, again. Stark flinched 

Climbing onto the stool next to Sam so he was flanked by two Buckys, he crossed his arms and put his head down. He didn't want this to be his future. A kick startled him and he looked up at Natasha, her head gestured to the door. 

It swung open, a billow of snow blew in. "I wonder who that could be." Stark held up his tablet and paused everything around them. Snowflakes were in the air, not falling. "Do you think you've got your head out of your ass yet?"

"Probably not," Steve muttered.

"Really, Steve?" Bucky looked pained.

Stark zoomed in on the window on the holographic screen. "All bundled up, coming to visit." 

On the screen Darcy stood in the threshold, her red peacoat on, a bright scarf, and a white box in her hands. It had the same big bow on it. Stark double tapped the holograph again and Darcy suddenly was in the room, wind howling behind her, slamming the door closed. Dream Bucky looked up from the bar like he knew it was her. She puffed air from her mouth and blew a piece of hair from her face. Bucky looked back down at the bar, his cheeks reddened.

"Is that a blush?" Stark laughed at him.

"Shaddup," Bucky tried to elbow the man but he dodged it. 

Darcy smiled as she stomped snow from her boots. "Darcy!" Sam waved from the bar.

She moved towards the bar and dropped the white box between them. Darcy's arms stretched across both of their shoulders before she turned to Sam and then Bucky kissing them on the cheeks. "Wanda told me you'd be here."

"Thought you would be in New Asgard by now?" Sam asked, turning towards her on his stool.

"Just wanted to wish you both a Merry Christmas before we leave." Bucky watched as he stared ahead at a bottle of Wild Turkey. "And, uh, wanted to deliver this," Darcy pushed the cake under Bucky's nose. "It's for the both of you, but I know if Sam opens it he won't share the cookies."

The moment he snapped out of it, Bucky winced at himself, he looked pitiful sitting there next to him with a big red kiss mark on his cheek. Sam smirked between them, "Open it!" 

Bucky sat back on his stool before he reached up with a shaky hand to pull the ribbon. The box unfolded as the ribbon fell on the sticky bar. It was another plum cake surrounded by assorted cookies. "Merry Christmas, Bucky." She leaned down and kissed him again on the cheek. 

Bucky, Natasha, Steve, and Stark watched as she turned and gave Sam a big hug, "Merry Christmas, Sam." He wrapped a strong arm around her and gave her a big squeeze. 

"Merry Christmas, Darcy," he dropped a small kiss to her cheek and she stepped back. 

Her hand squeezed Bucky's shoulders quickly before she turned and left the building. From the window, the four of them watched Darcy slide into a large SUV, Rocket sat next to her and loudly asked before she closed the door, "So how'd it go?"

"Maybe next year," Darcy reached to pull the door closed.

Thor turned from his spot in the passenger seat, whatever he was going to say was cut off as she snapped the door closed. Groot's branches pulled her hat off before they watched a tear slide down her face.

"You made the girl cry, Barnes." Tony shook his head. "I met her once, S.W.O.R.D. brought her to the compound after the snap but before we did the time hopping to get stones. She brought a bunch of Foster's research with her. I'd pull your arm off again if I could for making her cry."

Natasha gave him a pointed look. He didn't forget her warning. He didn't want to be haunted by the Black Widow. 

"So, you going to just sit here like a sad sack of crap?" Tony's holograph was illuminated again, "Or are you going to get the girl?"

"You better choose right, Buck." Steve strong armed him to the holograph and shoved him through.

Jerking awake, Bucky gasped for air. He could still feel Steve's hand around his bicep. Calming himself with some deep breaths, Bucky turned and looked at his clock. It was just before six a.m. That meant he had plenty of time to...he didn't know what he was going to do but it wasn't eating at the mess hall and staring at his wall, pillow around his ears.

"Do you even know what time it is?" Sam mumbled over the phone minutes later.

"I need your help," Bucky said firmly.

\--

Darcy laughed loudly at the joke the driver said before thanking him. It had been a wonderful ride from the bus station back to the compound. Arranging a vetted driver had actually been easier than she realized. Then again, she had mentioned it to Clint before she left for Philly and he had done the legwork for her. The door was heavy but she pushed it hard before getting out. 

"Don't forget your cake!" The driver reminded her.

She laughed again, "I would never," before leaning over and picking up the box. "See ya next time, Bill!" He beeped the horn twice and drove off, Darcy waving in his wake. Carefully, she turned, towards the side of the building she thought she could see the outline of three people watching her, but once she blinked the shadows disappeared. 

Humming to herself, she kicked up her steps and skipped for a moment before walking happily into the building. Tonight was the night. Sam only sent her multiple Santa and snowmen emojis. She felt good. Luck was on her side. The Christmas spirit was in her. Darcy felt it.

Carol of the Bells played lightly on the PA overhead and Darcy strolled towards the party that she was late to. Her flight had been delayed but it hadn't soured her mood. Other than the traditional Flyers game she went to with her friends, the bakery she had her order ready for an evening pick up. Perfectly wrapped and smelling delicious. The molasses cookies were calling her name. Her full name at that. 

With the big bakery box in her hands, Darcy miscalculated. How was she going to open the door? The big wooden doors mocked her, "Well sheeee..."

The door swung in right as she was about to kick at the brass plate at the bottom. The sound of the party hit her but Bucky Barnes holding the door silenced her. The black on black ensemble wasn't very Christmas cheer, but not everyone could pull off a green velvet dress like she could, she reasoned. Darcy watched as he rubbed at his five o'clock shadow and then ran a hand through his neatly combed hair. Bucky reached out and gently took the heavy bakery box from her. "You...you don't have to…"

"Let the guy feel useful, Lewis," Sam said from inside the room. 

"Merry Christmas to me," Darcy chirped. 

The pause in Bucky's step, she wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not because he kept walking towards Sam who was sitting at the bar. "You're letting all the heat out!"

Darcy huffed and laughed, "It's central heat!" She started to unwind her scarf. "Looks like a hell of a party." 

"You missed the Thors under the mistletoe," Bucky mumbled while turning towards her. The small smile that graced his face had her beaming back. 

"Vision has been telling his versions of Christmas tales by the fire," Sam tipped his beer towards the gas fireplace where a crowd of people were laughing. 

When Darcy finished unwinding her bright scarf, she pulled her knit cap off and patted her hair back down. Before her, Bucky held out his hand. Quizzically, she watched as he reached out with his black and gold fingers to take them. Bucky hung them on the small hooks under the bar before he moved around her and helped her out of her jacket.

"Save me a cookie," Sam said, grin wide as he stood with his beer. Darcy felt Bucky shake her coat out behind her as Rocket yelled, "Tell me you got some better movies than this crap," Rocket pointed at the claymation film behind him.

"Die Hard!" Someone called.

"Reindeer Games!"

"Lethal Weapon!"

"Bad Santa!"

Darcy doesn't listen to what they inevitably pick because her attention shifted back to Bucky. Draped over his arm was her thick coat and he said, "Let's sit."

On the stool, Darcy watched as he fussed over her coat to make it hang between them. "It's ok if it falls, it's pretty old," Darcy said. 

Bucky looked at her intently before standing next to her. His shoulder was at eye level so she tilted her head and they held each other's gazes. "You," he swallowed thickly, she watched his adam's apple bob, "you look gorgeous tonight." 

She felt a sudden bead of sweat roll down her lower back, under the green velvet. "Thanks."

Gently, Bucky took her hands with both of his and held them. "I remember." His face was serious and Darcy could tell he opened something inside, something raw. "I remember it all." 

Her hands gripped him back, tightening around his. "You do?" Darcy was lost for words. She didn't think that he'd ever acknowledge what had happened almost twenty years ago. She figured he had lost the memory with the HYDRA wipes. 

"I'm sorry," his voice shook. "I'm sorry. Sometimes the memories come back in pieces and I can't… they don't line up."

"You don't need to apologize, Bucky." Darcy shook her head, "Don't apologize, please." She tightened her hands, "You," her tongue felt thick. Darcy pulled him forward until she could lean her cheek against his chest. His vibranium hand wrapped around her shoulders and he dropped his cheek against the top of her head. "I thought I was seeing things, you know," Darcy whispered to him, "I just did a semester about the propaganda of world war two and I swore to God that Bucky Barnes had saved my friend." He wrapped his arm a little tighter, "None of them remembered your face, but when I watched the videos from D.C., I knew. Vienna? No doubt."

"I wish I remembered sooner."

Darcy backed up and bit her lip. "I uh," she turned towards the pastry box, "I was going to give this to you, if you showed up or not. Would have knocked your door down, if I had to." She smiled over her shoulder and pushed the box towards him. 

"You didn't…" he looked awed at the package as he pulled the ribbon.

"I might have accidentally heard you and Sam talking last week."

His lips pursed before he turned and cheekily asked, "Doing surveillance or somethin'?"

"Something like that." Darcy watched as the ribbon fell to the sides of the box and Bucky reached to pull the flaps apart. "It's plum cake...and there's some molasses cookies and orange drops. And I think the buckeyes are under them."

His blue eyes widened before he turned towards her again, "You didn't have to get all this."

"Thought I smelled something actually good," Rocket interrupted, reaching down and swiping some cookies. "Thanks, toots. Terminator."

"Seriously Rocket?" Darcy huffed. "Are you serious right now?"

"What? I interrupt a moment or something?" He spoke around a mouth full of cookie. "Finally this moron got the nerve to talk to you?"

Behind them, Groot said, "I am Groot."

Calmly Bucky looked at both of them and said seriously, "I'm going to kill both of you."

"I am Groot," he mocked before grabbing a few cookies for himself. 

"He will," Darcy laughed before reaching into the box and picking up a molasses cookie for herself.

"Nah, he won't," Rocket jumped off the bar and gave the both of them finger guns, "I'd stay away from the mistletoe of I was you. Mantis hung it."

"I am Groot."

As they walked away, Rocket said, "You're too young for mistletoe."

"I guess you better get a plate before Clint finds out there's cookies." Darcy smiled and pulled the plum cake from the center. It was heavy in her hands and she could smell the sweetness of it. "Steve told me this was your favorite during the war. I met him once and…he couldn't stop talking about you."

"Doll," he rested his flesh hand over hers, "Merry Christmas." Bucky shook his head and looked at her shyly, "Just, Merry Christmas, I couldn't say it in Philadelphia, not with what happened."

Behind a curtain of hair, Darcy admitted quietly, "I really wanted you to call, was hoping you would have wanted to be my New Year’s date," she laughed, "traumatizing life events aside."

Bucky pulled an orange drop from the box and took a bite, "Do you have a date for this year?" 

Infront of her, behind the bottles of liquor, Darcy could have swore she saw the reflection of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, and Tony-Fucking-Stark. She looked over at Bucky and he was staring where she had been just looking, like he saw them too. Behind the vodka, Steve Roger's bit at his nails. "I don't have a date yet, no."

The reflection of Natasha crossed her arms and looked haughtily through the glass. "Would," he was definitely staring at the reflection, "would you want to celebrate, together?"

The reflection of Tony Stark held up a holographic score card that read 6.0. Natasha caught her eye and winked, she had to be hallucinating. "I'd love to." Steve Rogers stopped biting his nails and cheered before picking Tony up and carrying him around joyously. "But do I have to wait until New Years for a kiss?"

She turned away from the reflection and looked at Bucky. He smiled, wide and carefree before cupping her cheek and moving the tips of his fingers to the edge of her hair, "No doll, you don't." 

It was weird, Darcy decided, to finally kiss someone she'd been thinking about for years. Someone she had been kind to around the facility, someone Sam assured her wouldn't turn her down if they were able to have an actual conversation one day. The kiss was soft and sweet, everything she'd want a kiss on Christmas to be like. And when they stopped, Bucky rested his forehead against hers and they both turned towards the mirror. Natasha slow clapped and Steve was crying. Tony's hologram read, YOU CALL THAT A KISS?

"You seeing this?" Darcy whispered.

"You have no idea," Bucky said before he turned his head and caught her lips in a searing kiss.

They only stopped because Mantis' was suddenly next to them, "I feel love...and yearning...and desire."

A large blue hand reached past everyone and Drax grabbed a handful of cookies, "Terrans call it mating, we have discussed this, Mantis."

"Oh yes," she nodded happily, "they've wanted to for a long time." Her hand reached out slowly and pulled one cookie from the top. "My species are asexual, we do not mate but we can feel love." Her voice was wispy between them and her antennae twitched, "You felt love," she leaned towards Darcy and the tips of her antennae started to glow, "since first sight." 

Darcy slow blinked at Bucky. "I'm really sorry about the twenty-first century."

He picked up two more cookies for the both of them before pushing the box down the bar, "Do you want to go watch the movie?"

"Can I have a slice of your cake?" She lifted her brow playfully.

His answer was buried under Clint and Sam arguing over the rest of the cookies. Bucky raised his voice and grabbed his cake, "How about we just get out of here?" Darcy had her coat, scarf, and hat over her arm when Bucky pulled a glock from his waistband and held it to the side. Groot's branch backed up from where he was trying to steal a piece of cake.

"Back off, tree."

Laughing, Darcy looked at the mirror one more time, all three reflections had their heads in their hands. "It isn't an Avengers party until a gun is drawn."

A week and a year later, a New Year's Eve party was in full swing in New Asgard but Bucky and Darcy were tangled together, smiling. Bucky held her close while he slowly told her the story of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. 

"So they were real? I didn't hallucinate?" Darcy smiled.

"They're meddlers is what they are." Bucky untangled himself at the end of the story to grab a glass of water, when he looked in the mirror, Steve had Peggy under his arm and Natasha pulled Tony into frame. Tony typed into his tablet and MARRY HER was projected in front of them. 

"You gonna?" Darcy leaned against the door jam, towel around herself 

From behind her, she pulled out the tiny black box he had stashed in his suitcase before the trip. "Yeah, if she'll have me."

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank the Darcyland server mods for putting this exchange on. I've had a lot of fun participating in it.
> 
> If you are a Flyers fan, I DO NOT apologize for playing fast and hard with their 2006 game season and pretending that Gritty has been their mascot forever. <3


End file.
